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Action Points
Acquiring Action Points A beginning (1st-level) character starts the game with 5 action points. A character above 1st level starts the game with a number of action points equal to 5 + 1/2 his current character level. Every time a character advances, he gains a number of action points equal to 5 + 1/2 his new character level. Some prestige classes might allow a faster rate of accrual, at the GM’s option. Using Action Points You can spend action points either to add to a single d20 roll, to take a special action, or to improve the use of a feat. You can spend action points only once in a round. If you spend a point to use a special action (see below), you can’t spend another one in the same round to improve a die roll, and vice versa. Note that some special actions cost more than one action point. Add to a Roll When you spend 1 action point to improve a d20 roll, you add the result of a 1d6 to your d20 roll (including attack rolls, saves, checks, or any other roll of a d20) to help you meet or exceed the target number. You can declare the use of 1 action point to alter a d20 roll after the roll is made, but only before the GM reveals the result of that roll. You can’t use an action point to alter the result of a d20 roll when you are taking 10 or taking 20. Depending on character level (see table), a character might be able to roll more than one d6 when he spends 1 action point. If so, apply the highest result and disregard the other rolls. A 15th-level character, for instance, gets to roll 3d6 and take the best result of the three. So, if he rolled a 1, 2, and 4, he would apply the 4 to his d20 roll. Character Level Action Point Dice Rolled 1st-7th 1d6 8th-14th 2d6 15th-21st 3d6 22nd-25th 4d6 Special Actions A character can perform certain tasks by spending an action point. In addition to the actions described below, some prestige classes or feats (see below) might allow the expenditure of action points in order to gain or activate specific abilities, at the GM’s option. Activate Class Ability: A character can spend 1 action point to gain another use of a class ability that has a limited number of uses per day. For example, a monk might spend an action point to gain another use of her stunning fist ability, or a paladin might spend an action point to make an additional smite attack. Boost Defense: A character can spend 1 action point as a swift action when fighting defensively. This gives him double the normal benefits for fighting defensively for the entire round (+4 dodge bonus to AC; +6 if he has 5 or more ranks in Tumble). Concealment Negation: A character can spend 1 action point as a swift action to negate the miss chance for one attack. Donate an Action Point: A character can spend 2 action points as an immediate action to grant another character 1 action point. The donated action point must be used by the target within one round, or it is lost. Stable: Any time a character is dying, he can spend 1 action point as an immediate action to become stable at his current hit point total. Improving Feats The use of action points opens up a whole range of possible feats. However, it’s easier on characters simply to improve existing feats to take advantage of action points — that way, characters needn’t spend their precious feat slots simply to gain the ability to use their action points. Below are a few examples of how action points can be used with existing feats. Unless otherwise stated, each effect requires a swift action to activate and lasts 1 round. Blind-Fight: You can spend 1 action point to negate your miss chance for a single round. Combat Expertise: You can spend 1 action point to double the bonus to Armor Class granted by the feat. For example, if you take a penalty of -3 on your attack roll, you gain a +6 dodge bonus to AC. Dodge: You can spend 1 action point to increase the dodge bonus granted by the feat to +2. The effect lasts for the entire encounter. Improved Critical: You can spend 1 action point to double your critical threat range. Since two doublings equals a tripling, this benefit increases your threat range from 19-20 to 18-20, from 17-20 to 15-20, or from 15-20 to 12-20, including the effect of your Improved Critical feat. This benefit stacks with the benefit from Improved Critical, but not with other effects that increase threat range. Improved Initiative: You can spend 1 action point to double the bonus on initiative checks granted by the feat, from +4 to +8. Power Attack: You can spend 1 action point to double the bonus on damage rolls granted by the feat. For example, if you take a penalty of -3 on your attack roll, you add +6 to your damage roll. Psionic Endowment: You can spend 1 action point to double the increase to save DCs granted by the feat, from +1 to +2. Greater Psionic Endowment: You can spend 1 action point to increase the bonus to save DCs granted by the feat, from +2 to +3. Power Penetration: You can spend 1 action point to double the bonus on caster level checks granted by the feat, from +2 to +4. The effect lasts for the entire encounter. Greater Power Penetration: You can spend 1 action point to increase the bonus on caster level checks granted by the feat, from +4 to +6. The effect lasts for the entire encounter. Psionic Dodge: You can spend 1 action point to increase the dodge bonus granted by the feat to +2. The effect lasts for the entire encounter. Category: RulesCategory: Adventuring